That suicide rates spike during the holiday season is something that you ’ve probably hear either in the news or during conversation , but new research is exploring how this myth has endured for so long despite data not supporting the claim .
In 2021 , provisional data show rate ofsuicideincreased during the gay vacation months in the US , but this do following two years of declining rate . The verity is that on average , self-annihilation rates during the vacation months are actually some of the humble in the year .
In light of this , the Annenberg Public Policy Center ( APPC ) is trying to encourage others to abandon perpetuating the myth . This is because there ’s sometimes a catching effect , so by peach about a stiletto heel in suicide around Christmastime and New Year there ’s a possible action of mold someone who is contemplating it .
Percentage of news stories mentioning both the holiday season and suicide that support or debunk the holiday-suicide myth. Stories published during the holiday season from 1999-2022. Image credit: Annenberg Public Policy Center.
National recommendations now require that medium outlets and journalist do n’t perpetuate the idea that the holiday are associated with a advance in suicide , not only because it can increase contagion , but also because the data does n’t support it in the first place .
Like most things , annual rates for self-annihilation fluctuate , mean wholesale statements rarely utilise year - on - year . However , if a trend can be drawn in late years it ’s that there are lower rates of suicide during the festive season . That said , people are n’t statistics , and concerns regarding a person ’s state of mind should be take severely at any time of year .
To see how these national recommendations were being translated in the media , the LexisNexis and NewsBank database were analyzed for terms like “ suicide(s ) ” and “ holiday , ” “ Christmas , ” “ New Years , ” “ increase , ” “ top , ” and “ rise , ” across 23 holiday season . investigator then determined if the hits were stories supporting or debunking the myth .
The results discover that in most of those years , media stories were corroborate the myth ( 56 percent ) more than they were debunking it ( 44 pct ) , and this was lawful too for the 2021 – 2022 season .
“ Our experience in tracking news stories about suicide over the holiday shows how hard it is to boss out this myth , ” said Dan Romer , enquiry manager of the Annenberg Public Policy Center in astatement . “ In the 23 year of our study , only nine age had in high spirits rate of repudiation of the myth , and only three of those occurred in the last 10 yr . ”
The festive period can be a unmanageable one , whether that ’s linked to the expected value and effect link up to sure cultures or the simple fact that some parts of the globe areplummeted into darknessat this time . However , Romer warn that it ’s unhelpful to draw sham conclusions about how this might act upon a mortal ’s risk of infection of die by self-destruction .
“ For some masses , this may be an emotionally pregnant meter of year , ” Romer say . “ With stories focusing on the holiday blue , seasonal affective upset , and other change in the seasons , there are a lot of factors that would seem to indorse the myth . There is also a concern for those who have lost friends and mob during the twelvemonth and who may be experiencing gloominess about those loss . But we should not adopt that these experience lead mass to suicide . ”
The enquiry was published by theAPCC .
If you or someone you know is clamber , aid and funding are usable in the US at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on1 - 800 - 273 - 8255 . For Canada , the Canada Suicide Prevention Service can be called 24/7 on 1.833.456.4566 or text 45645.In the UK and Ireland , theSamaritanscan be contacted on 116 123 . International helplines can be find atSuicideStop.com .
